Joint for pile shells



May 3, 1932. E. D. WATT JOINT FOR FILE SHELLS Filed Sept. 26, 1929 FIG.

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Patented May 3, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFKJE ELIHU '1). Warner LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'IO RAYMOND coNoRn'rE PILE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY JOINT FOR PILE SHELLS Application filed September 26, 1929. Serial No. 395,257.

In one method of forming and placing concrete piles a drivlng core is enclosed in a shell, the core and shell are driven together and the core is then removed, leaving the hollow shell in the ground to be later filled with concrete to form the pile. The core and shell may be of uniform cross-section throughout their length, or they may be tapered. The corts and shells may engage each other by means of corrugations on their surfaces, or they may have smooth surfaces and simply rely on their taper to force the shell to follow the core when the core is driven.

It has been customary in practice touse thin metal shells, formed in short sections, the sections being placed on the driving core with the upper end of each section overlapping and surrounding the lower end of the section above it, stove-pipe fashion, thus closing the joint between the sections. This procedure is easy with thin flexible metal shells, but is impractical when concrete shells are used, such shells being too thick and rigid to form overlapping joints.

The principal object of the present in: vention is to provide a combination concrete and sheet metal pile section in which a prac tical, cheap, and effective joint is provided between the pile sections so as to exclude dirt and water whilebeing driven on the core and after the core is removed.

Further and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the specification, claims and appended drawings in which Fig. 1 is a view of a portion of a pile shell mounted on a core preparatory to driving, the shell being in sections shown in crosssection.

Fig. 2 is a view of the shell of Fig. 1 after itfhas been driven, the core removed and the shell filled with concrete.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of the joint v "shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. '4 is a view of an optional type of joint.

Referring to Fig. 1, 10 is a collapsible tapered driving core of familiar type, encased by concrete shell sections 12, 14 and 16.

In practice the shell and core are prepared for driving by suspending the core in the air and then by means of hoisting tackle drawing the shell sections onto the core one by one beginning at the upper end of the core. Thus in Fig. 1, the shell sections were placed on the core'in the order 12, 14, 16.

It is impossible to make the shell sections with such accuracy that the end of each section will become tight on the core at the same time that the upper end of the section contacts with the lower end of the section above it, therefore the present invention contemplates so dimensioning the shells that they will always become snug on the core before making end contact, the result being that gaps or spaces of various lengths are left between the sections, for instance, gap 18 between sections 12 and 14 and gap 20 between sections 14 and 16.

To cover the gaps each shell section is provided with a thin metal tube or ferrule 22 surrounding the upper end of the section and extending upwardly. The tube is tapered so as to tightly surround the lower end of the next adjacent shell section.

During the driving operation the gaps be tween the shells decrease by varying amounts. The shell sections are forced up to firm hearings on the core, and since the bearings at the bottom of the core are smaller than those at the top, and since the lower sections are subjected to'the most severe service, the gaps between the lower sections are usually decreased more than the gaps higher up.

After the shell is driven and the core removed, the shell is filled with plastic concrete 24 which when hardened forms with the concrete shell a monolithic pile structure. It will be noted in Fig. 2 that gap 18 being only partially closed has been filled with concrete 24 whereas gap 20 has closed so completely as to admit no concrete. In either case, intimate contact is made between the shell sections so that the shell portion of the finished pile is effective to carry its share of the load.

A preferred form of ferrule is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the designbeing such that each of said concrete sections being provided atone endyonl'y' with afitted ferrule flush with the'outsid e surface of said sect-ionand conforming to the taper thereof, said ferrule en closing andyt ghtly fitting the smooth end of mean adjoining section for the purpose'set' forth.

2. A pile-shell comprising a-plu'rality of h-ollow' tapered' concrete section's adapted to enclose a core by which the shell is driven zfii ea'ch of said sections provided at one end only with-a rabbet; and a ferrule ofthin metal seated within saidrabbe't and flush with the surface'of the section-to which the ferrule is attached and conforming-tothe taper there'- -'ofj sai dferruleadapted to enclose the unrabb'eted end of-the next adjacent shell section for thepurposeset forth. I I

13.; A tapered pile shell comprising a series of 'hollowiconcrete sections with gaps theresolely maintaining said-gaps and serving to exclude-foreign matter therefrom. The invention set forth in claim 3 in which'saiclgap bridging means is effective throughout varying changesin size of the gaps during the driving operation.

5. The invention set forth in claim 3 in which said gap bridging means comprises a sheet metal tube tapered to conform-to the shell sections and engaged with the outside surface of said section's. 6. The invention set forth .in claim 8 in which tl1egapi bridging means comprises a tapered-'sheet'metal tube integralwith the sneer one section, tightly surroundinglthe end of the next adjacent section andpreventing contact thereof with the section upon which the-tube is fastened; i

H 7 L A concrete pile comprising a plurality of hollow concrete shell sections-with gaps therebetwe'en, means for enclosing and main taining said gaps; said means serving'to exelude foreign matter from the gaps," and a' concrete corefilling said sections and'havm-g' -portionsentering said gapsf.-

"which sa-id' gap enclosi'ng'means is effective.

throughout varying, changes in 'size'ofthe gaps during the driving operation. v 91- Theinvention-iset forth inclaim 7 between, and meansbridging said gaps and 8L The invention set forth in claim? inwhich said gap enclosing means comprises a sheet metal tube tapered to conform to the shell sections and engaged with the'outside surface of said sections.

10.'The invention set forth in claim 7 in which the gap enclosingmeanscomprises a tapered sheet metal tube. integral with the end of one section, tightly surrounding the,

end of the next adjacent section and prevent which the tube is fast'ened';

In testimony whereof I hereto aflixmy si nature.

Y E LIHU D. WATT.

ing contact thereof withfth'e section "upon- 

